1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electric motorcycle. More particularly, the present invention relates to a drive assembly, including an electric motor and battery for an electric motorcycle, and to an electric motorcycle incorporating the drive assembly.
2. Description of the Background Art
There is a known electric motorcycle in which an electric motor, for generating a traveling driving force, is disposed substantially in a center position of a body frame of the motorcycle, and in which a battery, for feeding power to the electric motor, is arranged in front of the electric motor on a front portion of the body frame, and the battery includes multiple battery modules arranged one above the other. An example of such a known electric motorcycle is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. H5-105176.
However, in the electric motorcycle of Japanese Publication H5-105176 an electric motor and a battery, which are relatively heavy in weight, are separately disposed as described above, and this design has a problem in that the heavy portions in the vehicle body are dispersed on the frame, and the installation work is complicated.
The present invention has been made to overcome the drawbacks of existing arrangements of an electric motor and a battery for an electric motorcycle. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an electric motorcycle which centralizes mass in the vehicle body.
It is another object of the present invention to simplify the installation of an electric motor and battery on the frame during assembly of an electric motorcycle.